June 18th is National Tropical Fruit Day. It give us time to enjoy some exotic, or unusual fruits. I have an exotic and unusual book about tropical fruits. It is “Diseases of Tropical and Subtropical Fruits and Nuts” by Allyn Auston Cook, published 1975. This specialized book is rather rare, and tells of tropical agriculture issues with tropical fruits and nuts.
While one wants to try new things, one must hope that thing is healthy and not carrying a worm or bug (one remembers the joke “what is worse than finding a worm in an apple? Finding half a worm.) This book, while sounding quite scientific and boring, was actually interesting to thumb through.
The different fruits are alphabetical, and there are lots of descriptive photos and research for identifying problems when growing these fruits. As well as common bananas, pineapples, coconuts, and oranges, there are entries on Breadfruit, Lychees, Pomegranates, and Tamarinds, even the Chinese Gooseberry-otherwise known as the Kiwi fruit. It can suffer from blossom blight, crown gall and leaf spots.
There is an interesting chapter on Bananas, especially about Panama disease. In the 1940’s it wiped out most of Gros Michel bananas, which were the main export to the world. Plantations then went to the Cavendish banana, as it was resistant. Now that banana is being affected, and scientists are working on an additional strain called the Taiwanese Cavendish, that will hopefully keep bananas from dying from this fungus.
John Paul Jones died on July 18th 1792. From my oft-used collection of Landmark books from Boomer libraries, I have another winner, the book ‘John Paul Jones, Fighting Sailer” by Armstrong Sperry, 1953.
John Paul Jones is considered the “Father of the American Navy”. This book is a wonderful biography of him, with much on his battles in the Revolutionary war. In 1779, Jones was captain of the Bonhomme Richard. He was rammed by the English ship Serapis, and together, the two ship’s crews were fighting. Too close to use cannons, they fought hand to hand. The American ship was sinking. A British officer bellowed out “Do I understand that you have struck? (surrendered)”.
Jones answered back, “By the Powers, no! I have just begun to fight!” And fight he did, rallying his men. His fighting force encouraged the British to surrender, regardless of the condition of the American ship.
It was also said in the book, that when the English commander offered his sword in token of defeat, John Paul Jones shook his head. “A half-reluctant admiration shone in his eyes. His teeth flashed white in a blackened face. He said, “I’ll not accept the sword of any man who has so bravely defended his ship. But I would be proud to shake your hand, sir!”
As soon as the English commander did, the Americans abandoned their sinking ship, to the captured British ship.
Our history is full of courageous men and women. And my Landmark Books bookshelf is full of those stories. It is quite rewarding to spend an evening now and then, to let a story play out in ones head when reading such a story. Never stop holding books.
To paraphrase John Paul Jones “I have not yet begun to peruse.”
Librarytomes 